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Would have to agree with Duk Dog on the Pristine water drops. Another really light weight option is Pottable Aqua, they are an iodine tablet. Just keep in mind that niether option takes sediments out of the water. So if the area you are in only has standing water a lightweight pump filter is a good idea as well. I carry both an MSR Sweetwater filter, and Pottable Aqua. It is a touch extra weight, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

I use a MSR filter for some water and then put in the drops to purify it further. Where I am lots of the water is pretty full of dirt, moss, sticks, and other solid crap. The filter makes a big difference.

People in SUV's and suburbs will kill more game animals than a man with a bow, ever could.

If your into waiting on the tabs to work (read instructions, some take hours to kill stuff) and can stand the taste go with iodine tabs for "light weight". I personally carry a katadyn filter as the water is processed then and there, plus you can pull from some pretty nasty seeps and have a nice product to drink. I got a quickconnect to where I can fill the camelbak up without taking it out of the sleeve in the Eberlestock pack. This is one area I don't mind carrying extra weight in. I do carry tabs for emergencies, but this katadyn has been going strong for years. Good luck!

I do the exact same thing as Archer32 and have never had a problem with the katadyn, it is a great filter system and having the quick connect makes refilling my water bladder a breeze as you dont even need to take it out of your pack. Do remember to carry a backup but I have never had a problem with it.

Last year, I went out on a limb and bought the MSR Hyperflow. It uses glass tube technology to filter the water. From what I read this has been used in commercial treatment plants for quite a while and this is the first backpack implementation. It can be cleaned in the field by switching a couple of valves and backflushing. There is a concern with freezing - apparently if the thing freezes, the tubes can shatter, rendering it useless. Anytime I've been concerned about this, I make sure to pump it dry and keep it in my sleeping bag at night. I've had ZERO problems with this filter and really like it. It will fill a liter bottle in about 1/3 the time of any other filter out there (around 19 strokes of the pump). Weight is minimal, as is space required. I think the whole thing is under 9 oz and it is about as big as a hot dog bun. You'll never beat the weight of chemical treatment, but I find this filter is a good option. Small, lightweight and no nasty chemical taste. I'm very happy with it. It trimmed quite a bit of weight and space from my pack. Good luck!

The best lightweight water treatment system that I have found is a product call Aquamira. It is a 2 part system that you mix together and kills everything in the water. It is a 2 part system of acid/base so it cancels each other out leaving no after taste. The only problem is that you are not filtering the water.